- Date
- July 30, 2002, 20:50 local (Jul 31, 2002, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Nickerson, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9639GCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020730017599A
- Case key
- 55348
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fuel starvation due to the fuel contamination, the blocked fuel strainer, and the refueling truck's contaminated fuel. A factor was the berm.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane struck a berm during a forced landing resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported he was finishing spraying a field when he "encountered an unscheduled power rollback." He executed a forced landing to an alfalfa field. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a berm and sustained substantial damage. The inspection of the airplane's fuel system revealed the fuel strainer was blocked with a black rubber like substance. The fuel truck that fueled the airplane was checked for contaminates. The same type of substance that was found in the airplane's fuel filter strainer was found in the tank of the refueling truck.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2002, at 2050 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N9639G, operated by Ellinwood Flying Service, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while spraying an agricultural field. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was not operating on a flight plan. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated from the Rice County Municipal Airport (LYO), Lyons, Kansas, at 2020.
The pilot reported he was finishing spraying a field when he "encountered an unscheduled power rollback." He executed a forced landing to an alfalfa field since the available power was insufficient to sustain flight. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a berm and received substantial damage.
The inspection of the airplane's fuel system revealed the fuel strainer was blocked with a black rubber like substance. The fuel truck that fueled the airplane was checked for contaminates. The same type of substance that was found in the airplane's fuel filter strainer was found in the tank of the refueling truck.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9639G
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801575
- Airframe hours
- 3,818
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Ellinwood Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Ellenwood Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 3, 2002 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- LYO · Lyons, KS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2001
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,159 total · 175 in this make and model · 4,753 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- HUT, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 3, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 472 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9639G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.